Weathering the hip-hop games always-turbulent storm for ten years, Queensbridge projects proud soldiers Mobb Deep return to their original grimy form on their sixth album, Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive). While many bickered about 2001s Infamy sounding slightly watered-down with its assists from Lil Mo and 112, this time around Havoc and Prodigy recapture the urban darkness and glorified thug music that made them one of raps most celebrated groups upon release of their classic 1995 opus The Infamous. No R&B hooks, no obvious radio single, and no weak filler are heard on Amerikaz Nightmare, as Hav and P deliver a record that easily holds its own as some of the tandems best work to date.

Beginning with stormy electric guitars on the moody opener Amerikaz Nightmare, the hardcore sounds never let up. Lyrically, Hav and P remain consistently able to match the productions intensity, whether they are saluting their dogs on Real Niggaz or spitting violent narratives on the eerie On The Run. The Jadakiss-assisted heater One Of Ours Part II sports Havoc in top form, spitting graphic visuals like, Pick you up, off your feet like a fork lift/ But instead its the four-fifth, while Prodigy commends his Mobb music on Get Me with, Everytime they cop from somebody else, that shits wack/ That shit there is doo doo, this shit here is crack.

As far as production, Amerikaz Nightmare is one of the years most blazing audio experiences. Shorty Wop finds Havoc blasting bouncy synthesizers through the speakers, while Neva Change is an instant head-nodder courtesy of Havs frantic horns and pounding percussion. Kanye West serves his darkest instrumental in recent memory with the violin and guitar driven Throw Your Hands (In The Air), and Lil Jons abrasive crunk on Real Gangstaz fits the gully bars of Mobb Deep perfectly. Longtime Mobb collaborator Alchemist laces Amerikaz Nightmare with three incredible beats, most notably the alarming When U Hear The and the masterfully chopped-up vocal samples heard on the thumping Win or Lose.

With Southern energy and soft rap ballads dominating the airwaves these days, Mobb Deep convincingly drives hip-hops flag through the concrete streets of New York City on with this collection of murda music. The careers of Havoc and Prodigy seem to have come full circle in 2004, with this scorcher of an album seeing release nearly a decade after their Infamous introduction to the world. Devoted Mobb fans will rejoice, while ignorant sleepers will wake up once Amerikaz Nightmare concludes. Dont get it twisted; the Mobb is stronger than ever.